Malcesine Castle, Malcesine, Italy

Malcesine's most prominent landmark is the Castello Scaligero, which has 13th-century fortifications and an older medieval tower in white natural stone. Like the castle of Sirmione at the southern end of the lake, it is named for the della Scala family of Verona who ruled the region in the 13th and 14th centuries, and has the characteristic swallow-tail Ghibelline merlon crenallations. Remnants of an Etruscan tomb have been found within the castle walls. Most of the structures visible today date to the period of the della Scala. The bell of the castle was cast in 1442 and it is still in service.

In September 1786, Johann Wolfgang Goethe was questioned by the local magistrate on suspicion of being an Austrian spy after drawing sketches of the castle, and recalled the incident in his published travel report Italienische Reise (Italian Journey). During the period of Austrian rule, which ended in 1866 after the Third Italian War of Independence, major renovation work took place inside the castle. The Austrians turned it into a military garrison and the munition store they constructed was later used by the Guardia di Finanza of the Kingdom of Italy as a prison. Since 1902, the castle has been a national monument.

Today, the castle contains a small museum on the natural history of Lake Garda and Monte Baldo. One room in the Austrian powder magazine is dedicated to Goethe and his visit.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Alexander V (8 months ago)
Nice view, fantastic old town nearby, awesome atmosphere. Have to visit next time in Garda.

Katalin Agoston (8 months ago)
Pretty little castle on the shore of Lake Garda. Not so much going on inside, but the views are spectacular. Lots of stairs!

Thomas Brown (9 months ago)
Beautiful place to spend an HR just chilling. Lots of stairs to climb some are tight but I really liked the castle.

Paul Heller (9 months ago)
Beautiful castle in the town of Malcesine on Lake Garda. I didn't go in but it's Beautiful from the outside and a view from the north side along the lake is stunning. It is 6 eur to enter. I believe you can climb the tower.

Sherrie Perkovich (2 years ago)
Great view of the lake from the top. Be aware that There are some tricky stairs to climb up/ down from the very top. But otherwise cool experience. We didn't read too much of the history, but that's there if you enjoy getting into the history.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright discopalace

Historic Site of the week

Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

Malcesine Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Sigmaringen Castle